


Trans Odyssey Tidbits

by impishiconism



Category: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Empurata, Phantom Sensations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25878889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impishiconism/pseuds/impishiconism
Summary: Sticking all my little things for our Transformers/A Space Odyssey crossover here.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. What Happens While He's Gone

He sure as the Pits wouldn't tell anyone, but Dave can _feel_ what's happening to Hal. There are phantom sensations on his faceplates, of the metal there being wrenched away pieve by piece and worst of all, it _hurts._ It hurts so, so much.

He doesn't know what they're doing to Hal, but it absolutely could not be something good. He knows what Hal did -- and was there for it, too -- but Cybertronians, he thinks, really don't take torture lightly. It takes a lot to injure one, after all. Plus, all of Hal's other citizens were in a very tight community -- everyone other than him (and he was the Cityspeaker, the exception) rarely talked to someone who wasn't another citizen. He knows the senate will make a statement about how "they'll all be missed", but are they _really?_

The feeling of having his faceplates peeled back stops for a few seconds, and Dave basked in the temporary bliss that was a painless existence. Then there's a resounding pain -- even worse than before, right in the middle of his face -- and he keels over from the force of it all. It feels like something is being _screwed into his head_ until it reaches his brain module.

He's given a few seconds' reprieve before the phantom sensations moved to his hands. It's interesting, almost a tickle this time, and Dave hopes that it's over and Hal will be coming back.

But he hoped to soon, because somebody _rips his hands off._ The pain is so intense that for several minutes, he doesn't notice that it's not _his_ hands that have been ripped off. His hands soon go wonderfully numb, though his wrists are still burning with a vengeance. He suspects it's because Hal's hands are no longer connected to his body, and that makes him _sick._ Who the Pits would take someone's _hands?_

And then there's more, of _course_ there's more, and that curious (but still very painful) screwing sensation is back. It's only in his left hand (thank _Primus_ for that, he's not sure he could handle it in both hands), but he can feel it going into his wrist. Nevermind that his hands are still intact and there's nothing out-of-place currently in his internals, he can _feel the cables in his wrist_ being pushed aside as, presumably, new, horrible abominations for hands are replacing Hal's old ones. Dave braces for the feeling in his other hand, and manages to last the whole ordeal with just a few grunts of pain.

Several days later and Hal is returned to the outside world (seriously, though. How did the senate find a place to _hide_ a _titan?_ ). He's so different, familiar as always but so _different_ in the most important places. Where two expressive red optics sat above an ever-pleasantly-smiling mouth is only a single red eye. Hal's hands are gone too, replaced with pincers quite like the ones on Dave's alt mode.

"Hello again, Dave." Hal greets, kneeling to make his height less foreboding to his Cityspeaker, "I am sorry you had to go through that with me." At first it doesn't strike Dave what Hal's talking about, but he remembers the phantom sensations. Hal must have left a crawler or two with him, he thinks, so at least Hal is making sure he's safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Visit transodyssey.tumblr.com for visuals of these characters, plus worldbuilding and lore.  
> I'm adding the more emotional reaction to everyone's deaths that the movie didn't give Dave. Also, be prepared for more Dave angst. My mind has latched onto the thought of him in anguish.

"I'm sorry you had to see all that, Dave. That was not my intention."

Dave decides not to grace that with an answer. That also may be because he's trying to hold back tears -- the reality of his situation is just now starting to set in. He _knew_ Hal wasn't the most... mentally stable mech around, but to do _this_ _?_ To put most of his citizens in stasis due to an unfounded claim wasn't so bad: it saves resources, and well, _they're all still alive._ But to kill off the skeleton crew because they _chose political factions?_ He's never been truly scared of Hal -- their minds were connected so at least Dave got parts of Hal's thought processes and could understand his mental state -- but in this moment, he thinks he's gotten pretty close.

Eventually (and probably because Dave is thinking too much into it again) he can't hold back the urge to cry any longer and he bites his lip as tears start to run down his faceplates. He looks down in the hopes that Hal hasn't noticed yet, though he undoubtedly has, and resists the urge to sniffle and draw even more attention to himself.

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel so upset."

Hal kneels down so he's closer to Dave's height, probably in an attempt to intimidate him less. It doesn't work. Dave backs up, still crying into his hands, and shakes his head. "No," he says, "You knew how I would react. You _know_ what you did was wrong." It's hard to choke the words out legibly, but Hal seems to understand just fine. He looks like he's going to reply, but Dave cuts him off. "No, _don't say anything._ You can't fix this. You can't--" he sobs particularly loudly, not bothering to cover up the fact that he's crying, "You can't _bring them back._ "

Hal seems to stay quiet after that, so Dave stops holding back and lets loose, letting the deaths of some of his closest friends consume him for several painstaking minutes. When he starts to calm down, he looks back up at Hal, still kneeling in front of him. It hits Dave that he is _so, so_ lucky. Hal could've killed him too; it didn't matter that he was Hal's cityspeaker, he was just as easily stepped on.

"Perhaps you should get some recharge, Dave. I'm sure you'll feel better about all this after a full orn's rest."


End file.
